Attack on Titan: A Prelude to Apathy
by Cima55
Summary: Steam began to rise from both of them as their wounds knitted back together. their stand still etched on for what seemed to be an eternity until finally Annie took the initiative. Slowly she let her arms fall to her sides as she began to sink to her knees "I'm so... so tired... Eren." [Post Chapter 51 Manga] ErenxAnnie
1. Prologue: What's to come

**Authors Note: Alright folks, this is just kind of a starter prologue type thing... Yeah that... I know the word count is low, but this was so perfect for a prologue and it feels like it wouldn't work in any chapters i had written out in my head. The next will be between 2000 and 5000 words... so yeah... Shingeki No Kyojin**

**Important Note: This takes place after the events of chapter 52 of the manga, so expect spoilers if you watch the anime. The escape of Annie from her crystal will be elaborated upon on a different chapter.**

**-Edited- But only a little!**

* * *

Her arms were up in their usual fighting position with her legs slightly bent forward, ready to catch and stop any blows... or deliver an earth shattering kick.

He was low to the ground, knees bent and his arms high to protect from the aforementioned kicks. The toned muscles in his back contorting to hold him in this position, coiling to prepare a brutal launch into combat.

They both looked like they had been fighting for a while, blood ran freely from Eren's nose where a lucky punch had landed, his right eye was blood shot and rattled freely in its socket as if it had no control. Annie on the other hand, was heavily favoring the left side of her ribcage; where Eren had landed a heavy punch.

They were both panting heavily as they stared each other down, each waiting for the other to make a move. Their stare down went on for a time, each one shifting their feet to match the other on the hard stone floor of the old abandoned building they were in.

Steam began to rise from both of them as their wounds knitted back together. their stand still etched on for what seemed to be an eternity until finally Annie took the initiative. Slowly she let her arms fall to her sides as she began to sink to her knees "I'm so... so tired... Eren."

Eren's eyes (Or better put, his working eye.) widened in surprise but he didn't let his stance drop just yet. "Yet you still try to catch me." Eren muttered just barely audible above the sound of their labored breathing. As Annie settled on her knees she released her hair from it's usual ponytail to fall down around her shoulders; Eren sighed and joined her on the floor. They were leaning on an old wooden crate that smelled like it was full of rotten fruit.

"What happened, Annie?" Eren asks weakly, letting only a hint of the pain he felt from their fight (Both current and back in Stohess) into his voice. Annie stayed silent but he kind of expected that, "Remember when we used to spar? Every night after curfew we would meet in the forest... at the cliff side facing the lake." Eren continued to ramble as good memories of his opponent flooded his vision.

They sat in silence like this for a time, both lost in thought and memories from a time before the line between friend and foe became so blurred.

Annie finally looked over at Eren, "Who would have thought we were both forty foot tall monsters back then." She mumbled sarcastically. She had this look of wistfulness on her face that made Him want to punch a brick wall. "Who would of thought that you'd murder dozens of scouts and then go on a rampage in one of the most populated cities in the walls just to get me?" Eren replied equally as sarcastic.

At this Annie dropped all emotion from her face, "I don't have a choice in what I do..." She said quietly. Although her face didn't betray her, there was a hint of sadness in her voice. Eren couldn't pick up on much, but sadness was easy to notice.

Eren looked long and hard at Annie's face, trying to gauge her thoughts. "Why Explain yourself to me now?" He questioned out loud. Annie had him, she had him alone and weakened from the fight... why talk now?

"Because it doesn't matter anymore..." Annie replied cryptically, and that pissed Eren off. "So you kill hundreds of people and break out of the most secure prison in the walls, and then just give up?" He spat at her, but his outburst was only met with icy eyes and an indifferent expression.

After another moment of silence Eren sunk his head into his hands. "If it doesn't matter anymore... then why come find me? Why attack me?!" He asked, technically more rhetorical than actually asking. He knew Annie well enough to know she wouldn't answer him straight out.

And then Annie did something that pissed him off even more, she smiled. Not the crazed smile she wore back in Stohess, no; this was a sweet, genuine smile. "Remember that one night back in training? We'd been sparring for hours and you finally managed to get me on the ground... it was winter..."

Eren nodded, he remembered the night she was talking about. It was a hard night to forget, "You mean the night we kissed?" He said more to state it than to confirm they were thinking of the same thing. The memories came flashing before Eren's eyes all at once, like a bad headache.

* * *

_It was past midnight, everything was powdered in a light layer of snow. According to the curfew technically everyone was asleep... everyone except Eren Yeager and Annie Leonhardt. No they were far from it, through the forests that the training camps used for 3D Maneuver Gear practice was a ledge overlooking a beautiful lake that shined in the moonlight. It was here that Eren Yeager and Annie Leonhardt met every single night to spar, it started when Annie had offered to teach Eren to fight like her. In a silent agreement they started going there every night, usually they didn't even speak. And when they did it was only to instruct each other on their form._

_It was usually Annie that had the upper hand, but occasionally Eren would pull ahead. This was one of those times._

_Sidestepping the incoming blow Eren grabbed Annie with both hands by the wrist and shoulder. using her own momentum against her, he sent her flying to the ground before she would react. Although it was one of the simplest martial arts moves of any form, somehow Annie hadn't been paying attention. Using this chance, Eren got on top of Annie using his body weight to hold her to the ground, pinning both of her arms with his own._

_"I finally got you!" Eren said triumphantly, but Annie just huffed in response. "You can let me up you know." She said with a slightly annoyed look in her eyes, "Why would i do that? So you can get up and put me on the ground instead!?" Eren responded with a laugh. Even in sparring he'd never really been this close to Annie before (At least not with him on top.), she really looked beautiful in the moonlight. He could feel his heart skip a beat as he leaned a little closer to Annie, Eren could feel her heart beat hammering beneath him._

_"Eren..." Annie says as her heart begins to feel like it's gonna hammer out of her chest. But before he can lean in any further Annie's knees are locked on his head, she flips him off of herself with ease. Using this chance Annie decides to turn the tables and uses her body weight to keep Eren on the ground. "It really is cold tonight, maybe we should turn in." She says as she is pinning him down. "Yeah... Yeah it really is cold." Is all Eren says before he lifts his head brings his lips together with Annie's. _

_The kiss is soft and chaste, Eren couldn't tell if Annie was too shocked to fight back, but she wasn't resisting him either way. Why did he kiss her!? He just couldn't control himself when she looked that stunning under the moonlight. _

* * *

That was all Eren could remember of the kiss however... As Annie had promptly knocked him out for that little peck.

Annie simply nodded in reply before looking at the sunlight that drifted through the cracks in the roof of the old building they were in. "That was my first kiss, you know." She said, still letting that smile splay across her face.

"Annie what are you playing at?!" Eren yelled, finally letting out some of the anger that was building up. "My village sent someone else after you." She said as the smile finally left her face. Eren raised his eyebrows at this but stayed silent to let Annie talk.

"He's not here to capture you... he is here to kill you, Eren."


	2. Chapter 1: Cold Water

**AN- Hey! This is the first chapter of A Prelude to Apathy! Now i'll most likely heavily revise this in a week or so (Mainly because it becomes easier to spot mistakes after some time away from the page!) Either way, enjoy for now and please be patient with any mistakes! Until i figure out how the beta reader system works i am the sole editor.**

**-Edited! Added in a lot more detail!-**

* * *

The winter sun glared down relentlessly on Yalkell District of Wall Shina. It's brilliant rays reflecting off of the freshly fallen snow, nearly blinding a young Survey Corps member who was in pursuit of something very, very important. As she glided effortlessly through the rooftops her eyes would never settle on any one place, constantly search and scouring every nook and cranny she could spot. Her smooth black hair was waving past her shoulders as she went, the wind battering itself against her cloak.

Mikasa landed on the tiled roof of an old building before entering into a roll to continue her momentum. Sprinting across roof quickly, she shot out the anchors of her 3D Maneuver Gear when she reached the edge and was once again airborne.

Glancing around at all of the roofs, streets and alleys in sight Mikasa let a hint of the fear she was feeling enter her expression. Yalkell District of Wall Shina was sprawling. It could easily take a few hours to navigate from one side of the district to the other on foot. And there were so many different alleys and buildings that made it hard to see too far ahead on Maneuver Gear. Worse yet, there were always so many people crowding the streets that it would be neigh impossible to catch someone on foot, and all too easy to lose them in 3DMG

This was the worst possible outcome of their plan. The Survey Corps had wanted to fake the recently escaped Annie Leonhardt out of hiding by announcing that Eren Yeager would be making an appearance in the very same district they were in now. It was obvious bait, but Annie seemed to be determined on catching Eren; so they thought she might bite. But it was stupid to try something so risky when even the details of Annie's escape had passed under their noses.

In desperation Mikasa landed on the nearest roof she could and reached into her uniform pocket for the flare gun, along with the little device she also pulled out a red flare. The flare that signaled that Annie had somehow gotten away with Eren... the flare that signaled that their plan had failed.

But as her finger hovered over the trigger of the small device, Mikasa spotted something far ahead of her. She spotted a petite blonde in a Military Police uniform getting chased by a young Survey Corps member with dark brown hair. There was no one else it could be, she had rediscovered Eren!_  
_

In another second Mikasa had pocketed the flare gun and canister, and was firing out the hooks of her 3DMG. Annie and Eren were moving _fast_, exactly how fast Mikasa wouldn't know until she was closer.

Using the momentum of her leap from the roof she had been perched on, Mikasa entered into the chase. Her hooks were perched between two rooftops, using this to her advantage she pressed the lower trigger on her hilts and quickly began reeling herself in without unlatching her anchors. At the last moment she released the hooks from their places and launched herself like a slingshot towards the chase that was playing out before her.

Mikasa was diverting as much attention to Eren's movements as she could while also constantly relaunching her hooks to keep up with the two ahead of her. Eren and Annie both seemed to be trying to use as much gas as they could. Sustaining the chase was on neither of their minds as they played their game of cat and mouse across the rooftops of Yalkell District. Mikasa has never actually seen Eren move this fast with the Maneuver Gear before today, he was determined to capture Annie.

They were still far ahead of her and just kept on getting further. There was no way Mikasa could keep up without using all of her own gas, and if Annie shifted when both Eren and Mikasa were out... _"Can Eren actually beat Annie this time without my help?" _She questioned herself while watching the two continue to pull ahead.

Almost as if it was instinct, Mikasa moved her hand to pull out the flare gun once again. But this time she reached for a different flare. It was yellow and would tell all of the Scouts and Military Police in the area where Annie had been spotted most recently. After firing it off towards the direction the trio was moving she looked back to the chase, they were almost twenty roof tops ahead of her and were beginning to bob out of sight behind buildings.

But then something happened that froze Mikasa's whole body. Annie had stumbled just slightly in launching her hooks, slowing her down enough for Eren to tackle her. A mix of horror and concern for her brother entered Mikasa's face all at once. And then in an instant, both Annie and Eren were in a spiral towards an abandoned looking building.

* * *

Eren gasped for air as he felt himself impact a window... and then a floor, and immediately wished he hadn't. All of the air was knocked from his lungs and he was sent sprawling several feet into the nearly empty room. Shuddering for air, Eren lifted his head up to look the window where he had come from._  
_

Annie was down for the count on the floor at the base of the window, she was clutching the left side of her chest where Eren remembered landing a blow when he had tackled her out of the sky. And she appeared to be as winded as he was.

Part of Eren's vision was impaired, like he only had one eye. Gingerly he felt the right side of his head where he promptly found a small shard of glass just next to his blind eye. Knowing that the eye wouldn't heal with the glass in there, Eren took both of his hands and put them on either side of the shard.

Just touching the shard was painful, but Eren steeled himself and took in a deep breath of air. In one quick movement of his arms the shard was out, but the pleasant numbness of a fresh injury was long gone. Jerking his head back Eren let out a howl of pain and dug his nails into the hard wood planks of the floor. The aching in his head was awful, but didn't last long. Soon the pain was leaving and he could feel steam begin to knit everything back together.

Eren brought his hands up to feel the side of his face again, quickly noting the splinters he had gathered from the floor that now embedded themselves into his hands. The cut was already turning into sensitive pink flesh, even though his vision had not yet returned.

Casting his working eye up towards the window again, he caught the glance of the now kneeling Annie Leonhardt.

-_Moments Later-_

Eren's jaw clenched, a little more anger building up. _"Why decide to kill me after all this trouble of catching me? Why warn me!?"_ Eren wanted to yell out all of his anger, but just sighed instead. Annie was leaning her head back against the crate, just watching the shadows play through the ceiling. He'd never seen her with her hair down, at least not in a human form. It was different from what he was used to.

Then he heard it, the distinct sound of footsteps pattering their way across the roof. The cavalry was here... here for Annie. Here to catch or kill her.

"Annie, go find another way out of the building." Eren whispered, almost not recognizing his own voice. "I'll tell them you went out that window." He continued, motioning to a window on the wall to their left, it was open. "They'll think you went back towards the gate to Wall Rose, but instead head towards the channel and slip through the grate." _Why was he telling her how to get away!? _Annie looked at him, shocked. Her mouth was even slightly ajar. But she didn't wait for Eren to tell her twice, in a millisecond she was down the stairs behind the crate. Eren probably only had a few more seconds before the Scouts and the Military Police reached him, then he realized, _I don't even look like I tried to stop her!_

As quickly as he could, Eren drew his a blade from his gear and positioned it above his leg. In one simple movement the sharp steel was through his thigh and embedded in the floor. It happened almost faster than his brain could register the pain...

_Almost._

Mikasa landed heavily on the roof of the building she saw Annie and Eren crash into, others must have seen the crash because she was not alone. Several other Scouts and Military Police were already there, but before she could even speak she heard a blood curdling yell... Eren's yell.

As fast as she could Mikasa jumped down onto the balcony of the window and climbed through the broken glass into the room. She was met with a sight she did not like, but welcomed over what she had envisioned. Eren was leaned against a crate near the back of the room with what appeared to be his own blade shove through his leg.

The speed in which Mikasa closed the distance between herself and Eren could only be described as breaking the sound barrier. "Eren! Where's Annie!?" Mikasa asked, panicked by the state of her brother. In response Eren just gestured towards an open window to their left. Behind her Mikasa could hear several people entering the building. However before they could begin to search the room Eren shouted "She went through that window!" as he made a frantic gesture towards the open window.

His urgency at catching catching Annie shocked Mikasa.

In response a few Scouts exited the building and began the manhunt. "Eren, how did you get stabbed?" Mikasa gently asked her brother, cupping his face in her hands. Eren's right eye was horribly blood shot (although no longer rattling.) and light steam was rising from his body in general, the blade in his leg went all the way through and had even been embedded into the floor. It took some time for Eren to respond to her question, several emotions were passing over his face all at once. Fear, Pain, Anger, Regret... Despair.

"She beat me again... Annie beat again..." Was all he said when he finally did respond. And she had beaten him, Annie had ruthlessly defeated Eren Yeager in more ways than one.

* * *

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the area of the old abandoned house from which Annie was fleeing. They were pounding their way through the streets and rooftops, scanning for any sight of the uniformed blonde.

Cutting through an Alleyway, Annie undid her belt letting her Maneuver Gear fall to the ground with a resounding clang. It was too conspicuous to keep it on.

As she ran, Annie spotted a red cloak hanging from a clothes line that was slanted across the alley. Only a foot or two out of reach; Annie got herself a running start and bounded into the air, grasping the cloak's hem with ease. She ripped the red thing from its clothes line and quickly threw It around her shoulders. It should hide her uniform for the time being at least.

Soon she was out of the back alleys and onto the main road, it was bustling with people but Military Police could still be seen darting about on the roof tops. Pulling the hood of her cloak up to conceal her face, Annie continued towards the canal. She wouldn't be questioned, wearing a cloak in this time of year would only be passed off as a girl keeping away the cold.

"_Why did Eren help me!?" _She questioned in her thoughts, _why had she so anxiously bit into what was so obviously bait just after she had escaped..._ With a slight shake of her head Annie pushed these thoughts into the back of her mind. There were more important matters at hand.

Passing within a shoulders width of one of the Military Police, Annie released a barely noticeable sigh of relief as he showed no interest in her. She was only a short distance from the Yalkell district channel. Even now Annie could hear the gurgling of the freezing water she was about to plunge into.

The channel fed all of Yalkell their water and was connected to the very same river that fed Klorva district in Wall Rose. If hypothermia wasn't an issue, Annie could ride it all the way into Wall Maria. Supposedly it was fed by some kind of underground river that originated in Wall Shina... _"Kind of ingenious really, if the other walls rebel you can just cut off their water." _Annie mused to herself as she finally entered sight of the large canal.

While it looked deceptively calm on the surface, she had always been warned that the currents were quite strong underneath. Taking one look around, Annie spotted a few meandering civilians. But no real MP or Scout presence... Eren had come through for her after all.

At the far end of the canal that led into Wall Rose, she could make out the shapes of several different gates placed in proper position to make an almost solid wall to a titan... But the gaps of the various gates were still big enough for a full grown human to be ushered through. Although the chances of them getting through without being heavily battered were... slim. And it would be impossible cross from the Wall Rose side with the current against you.

Taking one single deep breath, Annie shed her cloak onto the concrete and dove into the river.

* * *

**Alright this one clocks in somewhere around two thousand words! I have achieved my goal of a larger chapter at least XD**

**Please leave a review and your opinion! You sexy beasts!**


	3. IMPORTANT UPDATE!

**This is a rather important message that can be completely disregarded if it had interrupted your current programming. Anyhoo, I will be moving soon and cannot find the time to update A Prelude to Apathy until probably sometime halfway through January. I'm very sorry to report this, but the alternative is a half baked chapter I spit out in the little time I do have to write. Please excuse this and i promise that Chapter 2 (3) will be out post haste as soon as the move is finished!**

**If I have already finished moving and am currently writing chapter 3 by the time you see this, you wont cause i'll be deleting this update as soon as it no longer applies.**


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